A Quick Lesson In Physics
by Ramenette
Summary: In which Kate is a proton, Tony is an electron, and he teaches her that opposites attract. Tate


_"So maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
And maybe two is better than one  
But there's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you've already got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one"_

-Two Is Better Than One by Boys Like Girls (Ft. Taylor Swift)

* * *

There is something undeniably attractive about dancing with Kate in a club.

She isn't a bad dancer, far from it actually, but it's hard for him to dance with her. She impairs him.

"Damnit, Tony, would you stop stepping on my feet? And loosen up; we're supposed to have been married for a year. We shouldn't look so awkward together," Kate hisses.

"Sorry," he replies automatically.

She readjusts his hand so it hangs more loosely on her hip instead of clinging on tightly. "What's wrong with you, Tony? You always striked me as the type who knew his way around the dance floor."

"I do; it's just that it's not everyday I have my hands places you would castrate me for," he retorts.

"Well don't get used to it, Dinozzo, this is a one time deal," Kate replies, grinning a little.

"It doesn't have to be," he says, smirking cheekily.

She looks up at him seriously. "There isn't enough liquor in the _world_, Tony."

Then she cracks a grin, and he chuckles a little, but it doesn't stop his heart from speeding up. She's so close to him, and he has to remind himself that it's because they're pretending to be married. He knows that the only reason she lets his hand grip her waist is because their suspects are watching, but it doesn't stop him from pretending.

He likes moments like these. When she's really herself, he can't help but slow down on the arrogance. He likes teasing her then because she teases back. She gets a light in her eyes that sparkle almost as much as the dress clinging to her body.

He's always going to remember the dress.

* * *

_She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. "Tony, if you picked out a dress that I couldn't wear in front of my parents, I'll kill you."_

_The laptop in front of her closed upon his arrival, and Kate knew from the grin on his face that she shouldn't have trusted him with picking out her clothes._

"_Oh, Katie, I think you're going to love it," Tony said, grinning. He tossed her the bag, leaning against the doorframe._

_Kate looked at the bag skeptically. "When this is all over, remind me to ask Gibbs to never send me on an undercover mission with you again."_

"_Just open the bag."_

_The dress inside wasn't completely horrible. It was a bit sparkly for her taste, and she probably wouldn't have picked it out herself. "Well, you didn't completely screw up, Dinozzo."_

"_Just try it on already. I want to know if it fits before I get comfortable."_

"_Well, someone's pushy today," Kate teased, sticking her tongue out._

_She bounced into the bathroom and closed the door behind her._

"_You know, Todd, you cost me a pretty lady's number today. This really hot lady who worked at the store kept checking me out. Then I had to tell her I was buying the dress for my wife. It's a real mood killer," Tony sighed._

"_You know, I really don't need to hear about your exploits, Dinozzo," Kate groaned from the bathroom._

"_Kate Todd: official cock block," Tony muttered._

_The bathroom door swung open, and Kate padded into the bedroom. "Can you get my zipper? I can't reach it."_

"_You know, Katie, I'm generally _unzipping_ girls' dresses," Tony said._

"_Shut up, Dinozzo."_

_He finished and she stepped back so she could see herself in the mirror. "It's a little on the short side, but it'll do."_

_Tony grinned lazily. "You don't look half bad, Kate."_

_She really didn't. The dress fit light a glove. It was white and sparkly, clinging to her body perfectly. She was right when she said it was a little short, but Tony wasn't exactly complaining. _

"_Stop leering at me and get dressed, Dinozzo," Kate said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes._

"_It's hard not to when you make it so easy, Kate."_

_He escaped with his tux before she could get a hold of him._

* * *

"So, Kate, I've been thinking," he says hesitantly.

"That's never a good thing," she replies, grinning lightly.

"Ha-ha, let's all pick on Tony. I don't know if I said this already, but you look pretty," Tony says softly, trying to avoid her gaze.

She looks at him soberly, not wanting to take him seriously. "That the best you got, Dinozzo? What about beautiful? Stunning? Gorgeous?"

He can't help but laugh at her. "Kate Todd, you are a goddess among mortals."

"That's more like it."

He tightens his grip on her, almost afraid that she's going to run away at his next words. "We should do this more often. You know, going dancing and stuff."

"Tony, this isn't a date. This is our job," Kate says timidly, looking at their feet.

"Then let me take you on a real date," he says seriously, and he knows that she's terrified of looking him in the eyes, so he lifts her chin up to meet his gaze.

"You can't be serious, Dinozzo. It's the wine talking," she says abruptly.

"Is it that hard for you to believe that I can actually like you?"

"Yes. People like us just…don't date. We're polar opposites."

"Ever take a physics lesson, Katie? Opposites attract," he says easily.

"We're not protons and electrons, Tony. We're people, and you date air heads who love hearing your college stories, and I date guys who bring me to art exhibits and listen to me bitch about my chauvinistic partner," she breathes lightly, not wanting to believe her own words.

And then without warning, he grabs her face in his hands and kisses her, pouring every retort he had ready into it. He lightens the kiss and dips her backwards, but it's okay because everyone thinks they're married.

And to her surprise, she finds herself kissing back, and she knows that if their suspects thought they were faking their marriage before, they didn't anymore. People who weren't in love just didn't kiss like that.

"So, what about that partner you were talking about," he asks her, panting.

"Well," she begins, trying to catch her breath, "he's kind of a jerk sometimes, but I like him all the same."

He knows that Gibbs and McGee are watching them back at headquarters; Gibbs never leaves his agents to fend for themselves. He sees Kate looking up at him with a look he's sure is mirroring his own.

"Rule number twelve be damned."

And he kisses her again.

* * *

My first Tate w00t. They make my heart flutter, and I quite like the way this came out. Reviews are love and give me inspiration to write more.

**Disclaimer: So, CBS, I have five dollars, a cold, and a Spider-Man poster. I'll trade you for NCIS.**


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